Saturday, April 30, 2011
'This is not Wisconsin' Part II
The NYT has a good summary piece about the House's move to curtail public unions' bargaining rights.
The NYT has a good summary piece about the House's move to curtail public unions' bargaining rights.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Obama has a secret Muslim prayer room in the White House basement
If the White House responds to my charge, would that make me a hero?
Update -- Too much. Is it really her Twitter account?
If the White House responds to my charge, would that make me a hero?
Update -- Too much. Is it really her Twitter account?
'This is not Wisconsin'
Give Gov. Deval Patrick and the House credit: They're taking on the public unions. ... No, this isn't Wisconsin, not quite. Lawmakers here aren't stripping public unions of their collective bargaining rights on all fronts. But they are suspending one of those rights in order to confront an undeniable problem that public unions have stubbornly refused to address: Soaring government health-care costs. Intransigence to a common-sense reform led to this specific confrontation. Even Massachusetts Democrats -- Massachusetts Democrats -- are fed up with the deliberate foot dragging. That's how bad it's gotten. ... We'll see how far this goes. The Senate doesn't sound like it will go along with the House's reform bill. After all, this is Massachusetts.
Give Gov. Deval Patrick and the House credit: They're taking on the public unions. ... No, this isn't Wisconsin, not quite. Lawmakers here aren't stripping public unions of their collective bargaining rights on all fronts. But they are suspending one of those rights in order to confront an undeniable problem that public unions have stubbornly refused to address: Soaring government health-care costs. Intransigence to a common-sense reform led to this specific confrontation. Even Massachusetts Democrats -- Massachusetts Democrats -- are fed up with the deliberate foot dragging. That's how bad it's gotten. ... We'll see how far this goes. The Senate doesn't sound like it will go along with the House's reform bill. After all, this is Massachusetts.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Obama's long-form birth certificate is a fake
Here are six valid reasons why it's a forgery. ... Now, excuse me. I'm going to sit back and watch the web traffic stream in.
One more thing: Obama's release of the certificate was a pretty sharp political move, largely for the reason cited here. But also because the Swift Boaters were revving their engines. Once the damage was done, it was done, as they said about Kerry's 2004 campaign. Obama knew he could benefit most (or avoid further harm) if he released the certificate now. ... Don't expect any soul searching on the right about this entire affair. Somehow, they'll find a way to blame the media, their all-purpose argumentative duct tape for trying times like these.
Here are six valid reasons why it's a forgery. ... Now, excuse me. I'm going to sit back and watch the web traffic stream in.
One more thing: Obama's release of the certificate was a pretty sharp political move, largely for the reason cited here. But also because the Swift Boaters were revving their engines. Once the damage was done, it was done, as they said about Kerry's 2004 campaign. Obama knew he could benefit most (or avoid further harm) if he released the certificate now. ... Don't expect any soul searching on the right about this entire affair. Somehow, they'll find a way to blame the media, their all-purpose argumentative duct tape for trying times like these.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
How newspapers blew their technological lead
This is is pretty amazing post about how Knight Ridder's media lab envisioned use of portable "tablets" way back in 1994. The similarity to iPads is, needless to say, striking. The video is must see. ... Of course the average price of a "tablet" back in 1994 would have made them cost prohibitive. But the newspaper industry, or at least Knight Ridder, had the future in their hands. It eventually took Amazon.com and Apple to exploit the concept. And the rest is history.
Update -- From Reader No. 1: "Thanks for the Knight-Ridder tablet post, great stuff. See this even earlier Apple design from the 1980s."
To be fair, the newspaper industry obviously couldn't jump on the tablet bandwagon in 1994, for reasons far beyond mere costs. The Internet hadn't even exploded yet in 1994. Hell, Microsoft and Netscape were still battling over primitive Web browsers. Monster.com was an unknown punk. AOL was the Internet darling via its dial-up service. Smart phones didn't exist. The necessary technological infrastructure simply wasn't there. But someone accurately envisioned the future back then, coming up with an amazingly detailed prototype of future digital newspapers on tablets. Amazon.com, which used to be a non-hardware tech company, saw the future and developed its own Kindle hardware product to protect its distribution turf. Newspapers didn't. They were fat and happy in the mid-1990s. They were just plain stupid by the mid- to late 2000s.
This is is pretty amazing post about how Knight Ridder's media lab envisioned use of portable "tablets" way back in 1994. The similarity to iPads is, needless to say, striking. The video is must see. ... Of course the average price of a "tablet" back in 1994 would have made them cost prohibitive. But the newspaper industry, or at least Knight Ridder, had the future in their hands. It eventually took Amazon.com and Apple to exploit the concept. And the rest is history.
Update -- From Reader No. 1: "Thanks for the Knight-Ridder tablet post, great stuff. See this even earlier Apple design from the 1980s."
To be fair, the newspaper industry obviously couldn't jump on the tablet bandwagon in 1994, for reasons far beyond mere costs. The Internet hadn't even exploded yet in 1994. Hell, Microsoft and Netscape were still battling over primitive Web browsers. Monster.com was an unknown punk. AOL was the Internet darling via its dial-up service. Smart phones didn't exist. The necessary technological infrastructure simply wasn't there. But someone accurately envisioned the future back then, coming up with an amazingly detailed prototype of future digital newspapers on tablets. Amazon.com, which used to be a non-hardware tech company, saw the future and developed its own Kindle hardware product to protect its distribution turf. Newspapers didn't. They were fat and happy in the mid-1990s. They were just plain stupid by the mid- to late 2000s.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
'Of course this is bad for BC ...'
Reader AM agrees UMass's new big-league football program is a threat to BC. But he notes UMass faces its own problems:
Reader AM agrees UMass's new big-league football program is a threat to BC. But he notes UMass faces its own problems:
Of course this is bad for BC, which has pursued a strategy of being the big-time college "franchise" in New England. UConn put a serious crimp in the plan - now this (although the MAC is not an AQ league).
What's more interesting is UMass's position. I believe that every single non-AQ-league football program (I tried to phrase that to exclude Notre Dame and BYU) loses money; so will UMass, especially because (like BC, actually) they're in a league that doesn't offer much in the way of natural rivalries. And is there any other case where a university plays most or all of its home games so far from campus? (I foresee some VERY drunk student fans at both ends of the trip.) The incoming president of UMass, I believe, was president at Towson when they built some pretty much empty athletic facilities, so sooner or later there'll be a proposal for a big stadium in Amherst. And the BC folks will lobby for that.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Ballpark Frank strikes again
Boston’s most infamous export to Los Angeles strikes again: Major League Baseball is taking over the financial operations of Frank McCourt’s Los Angeles Dodgers. … Only Frank. … Here’s a ‘tipsheet’ on ‘Divorce McCourt’ and the fall of the LA Dodgers. ... All together now: Thank God he didn't buy the Red Sox.
Boston’s most infamous export to Los Angeles strikes again: Major League Baseball is taking over the financial operations of Frank McCourt’s Los Angeles Dodgers. … Only Frank. … Here’s a ‘tipsheet’ on ‘Divorce McCourt’ and the fall of the LA Dodgers. ... All together now: Thank God he didn't buy the Red Sox.
UMass makes its move
The UMass football team will start playing games in Foxboro starting in 2012, as the program tries to break into big-time NCAA football. ... Question: Where are the behind-the-scenes BC lobbyists? One would assume they're trying to nix this deal -- and contacting Beacon Hill alum about it. Who knows? This is a big deal for college sports in this area. ... Last year's UMass-Michigan game was a turning point for the Minutemen, though it's unclear if the local media will ever cover college sports like they do pro sports.
The UMass football team will start playing games in Foxboro starting in 2012, as the program tries to break into big-time NCAA football. ... Question: Where are the behind-the-scenes BC lobbyists? One would assume they're trying to nix this deal -- and contacting Beacon Hill alum about it. Who knows? This is a big deal for college sports in this area. ... Last year's UMass-Michigan game was a turning point for the Minutemen, though it's unclear if the local media will ever cover college sports like they do pro sports.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
'Atlas Mugged'
Cathy Young on Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged” (the book):
Hub Blog actually liked ‘The Fountainhead.’ But I could barely read ‘Atlas Shrugged’ for the reasons Cathy cites. Naturally, ‘Atlas’ is the favorite of ideologues precisely because it provides them with an answer-for-everything philosophy that comes in so handy when arguing with others. There’s a gene in all of us that craves finding an answer-for-everything philosophy (or religion etc.), but most of us come to realize in adulthood that life isn’t so simple. It’s actually intellectually exciting to reach this stage. It’s even liberating. Ideologues never understand this. They cling to their dogmas, assuming others don’t get it.
Cathy Young on Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged” (the book):
Contrary to her detractors’ claims, Rand was a writer of high and unique talent. “Atlas’’ is among the worst of her books. Most of the characters are either demigods or vermin. The plot suffocates under endless speechifying, with every point hammered over and over. The earlier novels “We the Living’’ and “The Fountainhead’’ advance Rand’s ideas but allow for shades of gray and sympathy for flawed characters. In “Atlas,’’ the ideologue has all but crushed the writer.
Hub Blog actually liked ‘The Fountainhead.’ But I could barely read ‘Atlas Shrugged’ for the reasons Cathy cites. Naturally, ‘Atlas’ is the favorite of ideologues precisely because it provides them with an answer-for-everything philosophy that comes in so handy when arguing with others. There’s a gene in all of us that craves finding an answer-for-everything philosophy (or religion etc.), but most of us come to realize in adulthood that life isn’t so simple. It’s actually intellectually exciting to reach this stage. It’s even liberating. Ideologues never understand this. They cling to their dogmas, assuming others don’t get it.
Monday, April 18, 2011
S&P downgrades U.S. debt
Oh, only now does S&P get tough with its ratings. Where were S&P and other rating agencies when banks were piling up subprime-mortgage debts before the 2008 crash? ... S&P may well be right about today's downgrading of U.S. debt. The federal government's deficits are obscene. But rating agencies lost a lot of credibility last decade. So take today's S&P action with a big grain of salt.
Update -- 'A Quick Reminder of Rating Agencies' Embarrassing Record of Downgrades." Even more embarrassing is their more recent record of non-downgrades. Just keep all of this in mind today. The S&P action smacks too much of redemption politics (it's own redemption).
Oh, only now does S&P get tough with its ratings. Where were S&P and other rating agencies when banks were piling up subprime-mortgage debts before the 2008 crash? ... S&P may well be right about today's downgrading of U.S. debt. The federal government's deficits are obscene. But rating agencies lost a lot of credibility last decade. So take today's S&P action with a big grain of salt.
Update -- 'A Quick Reminder of Rating Agencies' Embarrassing Record of Downgrades." Even more embarrassing is their more recent record of non-downgrades. Just keep all of this in mind today. The S&P action smacks too much of redemption politics (it's own redemption).
Boston's very own holiday
Hub Blog loves Patriots Day. It's Boston's very own holiday. The Marathon. The early Sox game. The reenactments. And great local blog posts, such as those by J.J. Bell, who questions whether a young stable boy actually tipped off Paul Revere about British intentions on the night of April 18, 1775.
But J.J. also points to some interesting Hollywood gossip: The same production company behind Robert Redford's "The Conspirators" is reportedly now turning its attention toward making a flick about Paul Revere, based on David Hackett Fischer's classic "Paul Revere's Ride." Sounds like they have a good handle on the subject. There are a lot of myths surrounding Revere's ride, thanks to Longfellow's over-simplified poem and the counter-myths put out by alleged myth busters (myth debunkers too often end up adding to historical inaccuracies, not correcting historical inaccuracies). The bottom line: Revere's ride is truly an exciting tale. It's just different from what people were taught in school or heard from hack myth busters. ... Not that Revere was a saint. You'll never view Paul quite the same way after reading Bernard Cornwell's "The Fort."
Hub Blog loves Patriots Day. It's Boston's very own holiday. The Marathon. The early Sox game. The reenactments. And great local blog posts, such as those by J.J. Bell, who questions whether a young stable boy actually tipped off Paul Revere about British intentions on the night of April 18, 1775.
But J.J. also points to some interesting Hollywood gossip: The same production company behind Robert Redford's "The Conspirators" is reportedly now turning its attention toward making a flick about Paul Revere, based on David Hackett Fischer's classic "Paul Revere's Ride." Sounds like they have a good handle on the subject. There are a lot of myths surrounding Revere's ride, thanks to Longfellow's over-simplified poem and the counter-myths put out by alleged myth busters (myth debunkers too often end up adding to historical inaccuracies, not correcting historical inaccuracies). The bottom line: Revere's ride is truly an exciting tale. It's just different from what people were taught in school or heard from hack myth busters. ... Not that Revere was a saint. You'll never view Paul quite the same way after reading Bernard Cornwell's "The Fort."
Back on the Celtics bandwagon
What a game. Hub Blog is back in the bandwagon saddle. ... Highly encouraging: Jermaine O'Neal. Without Kendrick or Shaq, Jermaine had to step up -- and he did. Besides going 6-6 from the floor, he was swatting shots away underneath, a far more important development. ... Still not sure where this team is headed. I have my doubts. But I had doubts last year too. ...
What a game. Hub Blog is back in the bandwagon saddle. ... Highly encouraging: Jermaine O'Neal. Without Kendrick or Shaq, Jermaine had to step up -- and he did. Besides going 6-6 from the floor, he was swatting shots away underneath, a far more important development. ... Still not sure where this team is headed. I have my doubts. But I had doubts last year too. ...
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
‘Football High’
PBS’s Frontline ran an excellent piece last night called ‘Football High,’ which examined how high-school football has gone big time in every regard – from larger players to national TV contracts. It’s sick. … They’re going to destroy the game. By ‘they’ I mean grown-ups trying to make a buck off of amateur kids. Full-time head coaches. Professional scouts and marketing people. ESPN sponsoring and promoting high-school games of the week. It all feeds into the NCAA own profit-making football machine, which has its own obscenely compensated adults trying to make a buck off of amateur kids. The NCCA in turn has become a mere minor-league feeder for the NFL. The whole system is becoming corrupt.
One quibble with the Frontline piece: Its focus on two young Arkansas players who were overcome with heat stroke during practices. One of them died. To a certain extent, it’s easy to associate the tragedies with the game of football and its emphasis on macho Marine-like physical conditioning. But heat stroke can hit any athlete. The real problem with American football is how adults have tolerated the spike in player injuries over the past decade or so – due primarily to the increasing size of high-school football players. I’ve ranted on this issue before. So I won’t get into it again except to say: Football, reform thyself, before it’s too late.
PBS’s Frontline ran an excellent piece last night called ‘Football High,’ which examined how high-school football has gone big time in every regard – from larger players to national TV contracts. It’s sick. … They’re going to destroy the game. By ‘they’ I mean grown-ups trying to make a buck off of amateur kids. Full-time head coaches. Professional scouts and marketing people. ESPN sponsoring and promoting high-school games of the week. It all feeds into the NCAA own profit-making football machine, which has its own obscenely compensated adults trying to make a buck off of amateur kids. The NCCA in turn has become a mere minor-league feeder for the NFL. The whole system is becoming corrupt.
One quibble with the Frontline piece: Its focus on two young Arkansas players who were overcome with heat stroke during practices. One of them died. To a certain extent, it’s easy to associate the tragedies with the game of football and its emphasis on macho Marine-like physical conditioning. But heat stroke can hit any athlete. The real problem with American football is how adults have tolerated the spike in player injuries over the past decade or so – due primarily to the increasing size of high-school football players. I’ve ranted on this issue before. So I won’t get into it again except to say: Football, reform thyself, before it’s too late.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Washington Post Co. and the higher-education bubble
A new Hub Blog Rule of Price Bubbles: When an industry is suffering from escalating prices well beyond the rate of inflation, check to see if A.) the government is pouring ridiculous amounts of money into said sector and B.) corporations have their snouts in the trough. The Washington Post Co. has gotten caught with its snout in the trough. …
It’s not a bad piece by the Washington Post about its own corporate parent, though we all know it’s one of those stories the paper was ultimately forced to do because of pressures brought to bear by others. …
FYI I: The snouts of nonprofit higher-education institutions are also firmly in the government’s student-loan trough. Remember that higher-education prices were skyrocketing well before the advent of for-profit higher-ed companies. The nonprofits used to have the student-loan trough all to themselves. Why worry about operational expenses and prices when Uncle Sam keeps writing the checks?
FYI II: Health-care and housing are/were two other sectors that have seen massive infusions of federal dollars over the decades, boosting demand and prices charged by eager for-profit and nonprofit suppliers.
A new Hub Blog Rule of Price Bubbles: When an industry is suffering from escalating prices well beyond the rate of inflation, check to see if A.) the government is pouring ridiculous amounts of money into said sector and B.) corporations have their snouts in the trough. The Washington Post Co. has gotten caught with its snout in the trough. …
It’s not a bad piece by the Washington Post about its own corporate parent, though we all know it’s one of those stories the paper was ultimately forced to do because of pressures brought to bear by others. …
FYI I: The snouts of nonprofit higher-education institutions are also firmly in the government’s student-loan trough. Remember that higher-education prices were skyrocketing well before the advent of for-profit higher-ed companies. The nonprofits used to have the student-loan trough all to themselves. Why worry about operational expenses and prices when Uncle Sam keeps writing the checks?
FYI II: Health-care and housing are/were two other sectors that have seen massive infusions of federal dollars over the decades, boosting demand and prices charged by eager for-profit and nonprofit suppliers.
Saturday, April 09, 2011
A serial killer drama
A serial-killer drama is being played out in New York. It's an intense read. It's right out of a movie. Whoever it is, he seems to be taunting relatives and the police.
A serial-killer drama is being played out in New York. It's an intense read. It's right out of a movie. Whoever it is, he seems to be taunting relatives and the police.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Ayn Rand: The movie
Regular Hub Blog readers, assuming there are some left, may recall I’m not exactly a fan of Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged. Rand’s devotees long ago allowed their beliefs to morph into dogma and cult-like rants. But P.J. O’Rourke makes a great point about how the collectivist impulse that Rand warned about has also changed over the years:
My own Ayn Rand anti-rant rants can be found here and here.
Regular Hub Blog readers, assuming there are some left, may recall I’m not exactly a fan of Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged. Rand’s devotees long ago allowed their beliefs to morph into dogma and cult-like rants. But P.J. O’Rourke makes a great point about how the collectivist impulse that Rand warned about has also changed over the years:
The anti-individualist enemies that Ayn Rand battled are still the enemy, but they’ve shifted their line of attack. Political collectivists are no longer much interested in taking things away from the wealthy and creative. Even the most left-wing politicians worship wealth creation—as the political-action-committee collection plate is passed. Partners at Goldman Sachs go forth with their billions. Steve Jobs walks on water. Jay-Z and Beyoncé are rich enough to buy God. Progressive Robin Hoods have turned their attention to robbing ordinary individuals. It’s the plain folks, not a Taggart/Rearden elite, whose prospects and opportunities are stolen by corrupt school systems, health-care rationing, public employee union extortions, carbon-emissions payola and deficit-debt burden graft. Today’s collectivists are going after malefactors of moderate means.
My own Ayn Rand anti-rant rants can be found here and here.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Fidelity's latest out-of-state move, Part II
As suspected, Fidelity's Johnsons aren't the only ones sneaking over the border to start a trust business.
New Hampshire is obviously making its trust laws more attractive for Bay Staters and others. But I'd love to see how many counter-productive tax laws that Massachusetts has implemented over the years, if not decades, as it tried to close "loopholes" and suck up as much tax revenue as possible. Bottom line:
As suspected, Fidelity's Johnsons aren't the only ones sneaking over the border to start a trust business.
New Hampshire is obviously making its trust laws more attractive for Bay Staters and others. But I'd love to see how many counter-productive tax laws that Massachusetts has implemented over the years, if not decades, as it tried to close "loopholes" and suck up as much tax revenue as possible. Bottom line:
“Massachusetts is losing companies at a rapid rate as it relates to the trust business,” said Scott Baker, a principal at Perspecta Trust in Hampton, N.H. “They are just losing businesses and jobs.”But elected leaders here will find a moralistic way to blame the Johnsons and others. Count on it.
Monday, April 04, 2011
Fidelity's latest out-of-state move
I hope the great minds at the State House notice the latest move by Fidelity and draw the right conclusion: The company can and will move out of state if it's in the firm's -- or family's -- best interests. But, no, we'll probably get more howls of indignation and calls for another Inquisition. ... FYI: Boston used to be known as the trust-fund capital of the U.S. Bostonians were so famous for their protection and management of wealth that an entire financial industry sprang up here, giving us companies such as Fidelity and Putnam. Now some of them are quietly sneaking off to New Hampshire to establish trust businesses. Don't expect our lawmakers to grasp the bitter irony. They'll be too busy chasing headlines.
I hope the great minds at the State House notice the latest move by Fidelity and draw the right conclusion: The company can and will move out of state if it's in the firm's -- or family's -- best interests. But, no, we'll probably get more howls of indignation and calls for another Inquisition. ... FYI: Boston used to be known as the trust-fund capital of the U.S. Bostonians were so famous for their protection and management of wealth that an entire financial industry sprang up here, giving us companies such as Fidelity and Putnam. Now some of them are quietly sneaking off to New Hampshire to establish trust businesses. Don't expect our lawmakers to grasp the bitter irony. They'll be too busy chasing headlines.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
UConn's Boston Connection
Besides sticking by a New England institution, locals should be rooting for UConn in the NCAA Men's Basketball Finals for another reason: three UConn players are from Greater Boston -- Jamal Coombs-McDaniel of Dorchester, Shabazz Napier of Randolph and Alex Oriakhi of Lowell. Not bad. ... New England has at least five solid NCAA men's basketball programs: UConn, UMass, Vermont, Boston College and Providence. I'm sure I'm missing one or two. ... The UConn women's program is obviously is in an elite league of its own.
Besides sticking by a New England institution, locals should be rooting for UConn in the NCAA Men's Basketball Finals for another reason: three UConn players are from Greater Boston -- Jamal Coombs-McDaniel of Dorchester, Shabazz Napier of Randolph and Alex Oriakhi of Lowell. Not bad. ... New England has at least five solid NCAA men's basketball programs: UConn, UMass, Vermont, Boston College and Providence. I'm sure I'm missing one or two. ... The UConn women's program is obviously is in an elite league of its own.
